LENT, AN INVITATION TO RETURN TO WHAT IS ESSENTIAL

Lent: a time of journey, of renewal and hope... 

Lent is a time to believe, that is, to welcome God into our lives and allow him to "make his dwelling" in us (cf. Jn 14:23). Fasting means freeing our existence from everything that hinders it, even from the overflow of information - true or false - and of consumer products, in order to open the doors of our heart to the One who comes to us poor in everything, but "full of grace and truth" (cf. Jn 14:23). The Son of God, the Saviour...  (Jn 1:14)

In the presence of God, we become sisters and brothers,

We perceive others with a new intensity; 

instead of threats and enemies, we find fellow travelers.

"Through the desert, God leads us to freedom",

is the title of Pope Francis' message for Lent 2024;

it is a "message of freedom and for freedom".

Lent, a time to get rid of our "make-up"

The Holy Father emphasized that "Lent immerses us in a bath of purification and stripping; it is intended to help us remove all 'make-up', all that we put on to appear adequate, better than we really are.

Returning to the heart means coming back to our true self and presenting it as it is, naked and stripped bare, before God; it means looking inside ourselves and becoming aware of who we really are, removing the masks we often wear, slowing down the pace of our frenzy, embracing life and the truth of ourselves.

Life is not a show, and Lent invites us to step down from the stage of fantasy and return to the heart, to the truth of who we are. Back to the heart, back to the truth".

Lent 2024: "Through the desert God leads us to freedom"; read Pope Francis' message